


Contagions

by bbytaebin



Series: Flu [1]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Angst, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-29
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:06:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7613896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bbytaebin/pseuds/bbytaebin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Its my fault. He's my child and my responsibility. I adopted him."<br/>"I figured he belongs to you since he calls you 'daddy'."<br/>"More people call me that than you think."<br/>"Luhan!"<br/>"I'm kidding."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Contagions

**Author's Note:**

> Sehun is about 5 or 6 in this. He was adopted by Lu when he was about 3 or 4.

"S-Sehun?!" Luhan's mouth forms words, but over the shouting of the crowd it almost sounds as if nothing comes out. His hand are moving wildly, shoving and pulling people so he can make his way through the crowd. He can't see where he's going, but he doesn't even know where he's attempting to go either, all he knows is that he needs to find his son.  
Sehun was adopted when he was just a few months old, and Luhan can't really remember why he wanted this child so much. It's not like he had a wife or partner to cherish him with. It was him and his dog Jongin. Maybe it was loneliness, and maybe it was his mother's push for grandchildren.  
If he makes it out of here with Sehun, maybe he should do some soul searching.  
He clutches his facemask tightly to his mouth, praying that it'll keep these people's germs away from him. People had been getting sick, throwing up blood and dying. Kids from Sehun's preschool had been dropping like flies.  
Luhan doesn't know if he should feel lucky or unlucky he pulled Sehun out of school this morning. Maybe it wouldn't be as crowded to try and find him there as it is here. But then again, Luhan is certain Sehun would've caught it if he'd waited another day longer.  
"Daddy!"  
He can't tell if that's Sehun or not, since so many people are running through here with children he can't tell. The voice is muffled, like there's a facemask over it and Luhan hopes that's the muffling of Sehun's yellow bear one and he tries to get as close as he can to the relative area of the plea.  
"S-Sehun?! Sehun?!"  
"Daddy! Daddy!"  
That's definitely Sehun. There's a tinge of disinterest, and that's so characteristically Sehun that Luhan wants to laugh.  
He finds his son tethered to another man. Holding his hand and pointing over in his direction.  
"Daddy! This is Minsweok." He can barely hear Sehun over screams yells of pain and anguish, and has to lean down to catch what he's saying.  
He looks from Sehun to the man to Sehun again and decides, fuck it. The man looks young, maybe younger than Luhan. And his smile is bright, like the equivalent of an Apocolypse isn't happening around him. Luhan finds him attractive, but now certainly isn't the time for getting back into his love life.  
"I'm Luhan. I'd love to talk and thank you for saving my son, but we better go before we get run over. You're welcome to come with us if you wish."  
Smooth.  
'Minsweok' laughs, a laugh that makes Luhan smile.  
"That'd be great. I'll introduce myself as we walk."  
They start walking briskly, Luhan grabbing to the hand Minsweok isn't occupying. It's chaotic and loud, but he manages to hear the other man yell to him from on the right side of Sehun.  
"It's actually Minseok, not Minsweok."  
Luhan smiles. Since Sehun lost one of his front teeth, his lisp has been horrible, just placed in random words meaninglessly.  
"Well, Minseok, where are you headed?"  
"What?"  
"Where are you headed?"  
"Pardon me?!"  
Luhan wants to yell at him.  
"Where! Are! You! Headed!"  
And yell at him, he does.  
Minseok smiles, tapping his head with an unoccupied hand. It's hard to make out words under his pink facemask, but he thinks Minseok says something about Seoul, and Luhan wonders if it's safe there. He refuses to go anywhere unless Sehun is safe there. No matter how hot their companion is.  
"Is it safe?!"  
He's still yelling, but his voice morphs into the constant shout of names surrounding the air like a thick cloud of smoke. His eyes flit around, trying to find a way out, but everywhere in his field of vision is blocked by people, sweaty limbs sticking to other people in the heat of the garage. So many things are happening Luhan can't see something and dwell on it or he will miss fifteen others.  
"Yes! As far as I've heard!"  
As so they walk. They push and shove through the crowd of people because in this chaos, being nice will not get you anywhere. Luhan grasps his son's hand tighter as he feels the crowd get even pusher.  
Screams wring out, as well as thuds, and Luhan can only assume someone was infected and didn't tell anyone.  
Why would you? You were doomed.  
But that one person took out five others, who in turn affected ten others, and suddenly Luhan realizes why everyone is pushing and shoving so harshly now compared to earlier.  
It's everyone for themselves.  
"Luhan, follow me!" Minseok starts pulling their group in the crowd, right from where they were headed.  
"Where are you going?!"  
"It's a shortcut, I rescue people from here more often than one would think."  
Luhan doesn't have the time nor the energy to decipher what that means.  
"Sehun? Are you okay?"  
"Y-Yeah daddy. 'M just tired."  
His feet begin to slide against the ground, and he trips.  
He falls, and almost lands on Minseok.  
Minseok doesn't even think twice, and lifts Sehun into his arms, still walking.  
This leaves Luhan alone, behind a stranger holding his son.  
He didn't think he'd ever experience that.  
"Minseok. You're sure y-"  
Luhan is cut off. It's not by Minseok, nor by anyone around them but Sehun.  
He coughs harshly, elbow poised at his mouth, startling people around him.  
Luhan recognizes the sound.  
The people around him in the neighbourhood, the ones who dropped, they sounded just like that while they still could.  
Luhan ushers Minseok and Sehun along faster.  
"Sehun, baby, don't cough. Hold it in."  
"But daddy I-"  
"Keep your mouth closed."  
They get along to wherever Minseok wanted them to go without a hitch, other than Sehun's body wracking with the need to cough, and Luhan having to look away.  
At one point, Sehun declares he's too tired to walk, even though Minseok is still carrying him.  
It's then, when Sehun raises his arms to exasperatingly yawn, Luhan sees what he wishes he hadn't.  
A red bumpy rash spreading up Sehun's torso.  
"Sehun, keep your hands down."  
Luhan knows Minseok can tell he's being overly protective.  
"Minsweok, where are we going?"  
Minseok smiles, talking hushed and gently.  
"To a camp. They'll screen you and make sure you aren't sick and then they'll help you."  
No.  
They can't go.  
"Minseok, this is where we stop."  
"W-What?"  
Luhan stands tall, telling Sehun to go find a leaf in the grass next to them.  
"He's infected. Not too bad, but soon he'll start infecting others. I won't put people in danger."  
Minseok laughs.  
"Well I guess I can't either."  
Luhan is confused.  
"W-What do you mean?"  
"Well, I did just walk with an infected about a mile. I'll have it too."  
Luhan blanches.  
How did he not think of that? How is this man being so kind? He just doomed him, and this man is still sunshine walking the Earth!  
"I-I'm sorry."  
"Daddy! Daddy! I got one!"  
"Sehunnie! That's good!" Minseok answers instead of him.  
"Can you find me one now?"  
He's grateful, because just looking at Sehun makes his heart ache, and he just wants to take Sehun home.  
There's no cure. He heard people scream it over and over.  
No cure, no future.  
Maybe if he takes Sehun home, he can let him die in peace.  
Sehun can die happily. Just like he deserves.  
"I-I think I'm going to take him home. To die there."  
Minseok looks at him.  
"But if there's a cur-"  
"There won't be. There isn't. He'll just end up dying i-if I make him keep walking, just uncomfortably instead of at home."  
Minseok looks down, as if trying to find a way to reason with Luhan.  
"I've mad-"  
"I'm coming with you."  
Luhan is angry.  
He wants this man to hate him so Luhan can wallow in his own pity alone. With Sehun.  
"Absolutely no-"  
"This kid is my friend. I spent time with this child and I'll be damned if he dies at this age without me there."  
"Go to hell then."  
Luhan turns around angrily stomping to Sehun, who's in the midst of finally finding a leaf for Minseok.  
"Sehun we're going home."  
Sehun looks up at him, questioningly.  
"What about the sick people? What about Minseok?" Why can't his child be obedient? Just this once.  
"They'll be fine. Minseok will be fine."  
"He can come with us!"  
Luhan turns, and sees Minseok standing there, smug smile gracing his lips.  
He strides over, and Luhan wants to punch him. He would, if Sehun wasn't here and if Sehun didn't idolize this man so much for some odd reason.  
"Daddy, lets bring him with us, I'll introduce him to Piglet, and Pooh, and Tigger, an-"  
Sehun starts listing off all of the plush figures he has, counting on his fingers, but him nor Minseok are listening.  
"I'll let you come, but after h-h-he d-die-"  
It hits Luhan like a truck to the gut.  
Sehun is going to die.  
His own son, the one he spent Saturday mornings making pancakes with, the one who he spent hours arguing about Popsicle flavours with, is practically a dead kid walking.  
The worst part is, now watching Sehun, he can see his face contort in pain from the disease ravishing his stomach, but almost immediately after, his smile graces his lips again.  
Luhan's legs give in, and he crumples to the ground, hands fisting at his hair, and his arms aching and his eyes closing on their own and he just wants to die right now.  
He can feel his grip on right now start to fade, and he hears Sehun yell his name, but he can't respond, his mouth is constantly open in silent sobs, and his eyes are trained on a point on the ground containing nothing of significance.  
"It's okay Sehunnie, did you find me a leaf yet?"  
"No! I'll do that!"  
Luhan hears the excitement in his voice, and that brings him back.  
He clutches onto that, onto hearing that for maybe the last time, and forces his legs to work again, he stands, Minseok reaching out to help him.  
Normally, Luhan would smash his hands away and get up alone, but he knows he won't stay stable alone, so welcomes his help.  
"Sehunnie," Luhan calls out, voice breaking halfway through, "let's go home."  
Sehun runs up, taking Luhan's hand, and with pain brandishing his voice, asks some that that would send Luhan to the floor again if not for Minseok.  
"Daddy. I'm sick, aren't I?"  
Luhan breaths quickly, huffing and puffing like his deep intakes of air aren't enough to satisfy his burning lungs.  
"N-No, you're fine!"  
It's not him, but Minseok again.  
And that ends the conversation.  
He knows Sehun knows. His son isn't that stupid.  
They get to the apartment, and Luhan just opens the door, since he didn't bother to lock it in the rush to find Sehun just a day ago.  
Sehun's held out surprisingly well for being awake twenty-four hours.  
Maybe it's because the disease is sending him into overdrive.  
"Minsweok! Come see my room!"  
Once Minseok sets Luhan down on the couch, he gets dragged to Luhan's room.  
Once they're in there, it's silent outside. It's silent except for their coughs, hoarse and burning.  
When they resurface, Sehun says he's hungry, and Minseok's watch reports it to be 5 o'clock. Dinner time.  
"Well, I guess it's time to eat then, isn't it?"  
The power isn't working, so Luhan tries to find anything that'll taste good and be healthy to eat raw.  
He finds half of a pizza and some bread, and guesses that'll be as good as it gets.  
"Found something!"  
Minseok and Sehun come in to see cold pizza and bread, and Sehun is excited.  
"Wow!"  
He knows Minseok isn't too excited, but he smiles. And that's enough for him.  
"Minseok, I mean, you could find something else,"  
"No! This looks delicious!"  
And they take bites.  
"Daddy it's cold."  
"We can eat like cavemen! This is what they used to eat, you know."  
Luhan pats himself on the back for that one.  
"No! You're lying!"  
"I would never make anything up!"  
Minseok, for once, is silent.  
They sit there in silence, Sehun eating happily.  
"Daddy, can I go play?"  
Sehun scratches at his stomach through his shirt.  
"Y-Yes."  
Minseok sits there, quietly.  
They sit there for what must be half an hour, the only sounds in the room being Minseok's heavy breathing and Luhan squeaking every once and a while trying to say something but ultimately saying nothing.  
"I'm getting worse."  
Luhan's eyes flick up from where they were trained on the greasy box of the pizza, stopping his chewing.  
"W-What do you mean?"  
"I'm getting worse. My rash is spreading, my coughs are filled with blood."  
Luhan doesn't know what to say. It's his fault. This man has family that probably survived, people he loves, things he loves to do.  
He'll never get those things again. He'll die because Luhan is ignorant and selfish. Because he decided to send Sehun to school when he was already sick so he didn't have to miss work.  
Luhan is most likely infected too, in the early stages. This will be his punishment. The pain in Minseok's eyes will soon become his.  
He did this.  
"I-I'm so, so sorry. I know that won't make a differen-"  
He's cut off by lips pressing to his.  
He jolts backwards.  
Minseok looks surprised, like he was the one surprised.  
"What was that?!"  
Minseok looks around.  
"I-uh-don't know?"  
Minseok touches his lips gently, mirroring the position Luhan is in.  
"I-I'm sorry."  
Luhan looks down and away.  
"It's fine."  
Luhan busies himself with cleaning up the pizza and bread crumbs, ignoring Minseok's existence.  
He kissed him. On the lips.  
Why?  
It's not like Luhan came onto him or anything, and Luhan knows he is handsome but he's not that handsome. Is he?  
His self-confidence swells.  
Sure, he doesn't know the guy, but he's nice, caring towards Sehun, and he's attractive.  
He's almost everything Luhan would want if both of them weren't dying.  
But that being said, they're both dying, so now would be great timing.  
He turns to see Minseok collecting paper plates.  
He spins him around by the shoulders, leaning down lightly to press their lips together.  
Minseok doesn't react, and Luhan takes that as a sign to stop.  
"W-What? Why?"  
Minseok splutters, pink tinting his cheeks.  
"So you're allowed to kiss me, but I'm not allowed to kiss you?"  
Luhan smirks.  
Minseok looks around, almost as if looking for an escape route.  
Luhan steps to the side, letting him walk out if he wants.  
Minseok walks out, but almost as quick as Luhan registers that, he's pulled onto lips again, and honestly, can't he make up his mind?  
Now it's a two-person effort, and Luhan prays Sehun doesn't walk in on this because that would be really embarrassing.  
Well, if Luhan wasn't infected before, he is now.  
They pull apart, breathingq heavily and smiling lightly.  
"I-I'm sorry?"  
"Apology accepted."  
And they go find Sehun, playing with him like there was nothing wrong, playing tea party and pretending to be knights and Luhan realizes it's a lot more fun when there's someone to be other characters so he doesn't have to stress about being four dragons, the princess and the king.  
It's kind of stressful.  
They play until late in the night, and Luhan doesn't even notice how long it's been until Sehun complains he's finally tired, and Luhan yawns too.  
Usually putting Sehun to bed is a hassle, full of insults and yelling and frustration but tonight it's quiet.  
Luhan says "I love you" more than often tonight. He makes sure Sehun is tucked in and comfy, offering him extra pillows and all the other things he usually doesn't. Luhan spends extra time standing in his room, even after Sehun is alseep.  
This may be the last time he sees Sehun alive.  
The thought sticks with him as he lays down, and as he lays next to Minseok in his bed, he can't close his eyes.  
He can't do anything because the disease is starting to catch up with him. His throat burns, and he's too hot but too cold. He realizes why the disease went unnoticed by so many people since it feels like a cold.  
"Luhan, are you awake?"  
It's Minseok, and Luhan turns toward him, seeing the lines of salty tears trailing from his eyes.  
"M-Mins-"  
"I'm sorry. If I had taken better care of him, if I had put him on my shoulders, if I-"  
"He was sick from kids at school. It's not you."  
And that keeps Minseok quiet.  
Luhan closes his eyes again, but still hears Minseok's heavy breathing and his quiet crying.  
"C'mere, you big baby."  
Luhan wraps an arm around Minseok's waist and pulls his body closer.  
It makes him uncomfortably hot, but Luhan doesn't think he could peel himself away if he wanted to.  
"I'm sorry too."  
"Luhan it's-"  
"Its my fault. He's my child and my responsibility. I adopted him."  
"I figured he belongs to you since he calls you 'daddy'."  
"More people call me that than you think."  
"Luhan!"  
"I'm kidding."  
They lay there the rest of the night. Quiet, and as content as two dying people can be.

 

^^^

 

In the morning, Sehun is alive. He's ready to go out and do something, and they have to calm him down before he gets too riled up.  
He's in a complete different condition from yesterday. His breath no longer smells of blood, and his face no longer contorts in pain every so often.  
It's like he was cured overnight.  
"Daddy! Minsweok! My owie is gone!"  
He points to his stomach, and he and Minseok scramble over each other to see.  
It's gone.  
The red bumpiness of his skin is no longer there, but only on his neck now.  
"Minseok, h-he's, he's okay!"  
Minseok loos at his stomach, and smiles brighter than Luhan has ever seen someone smile.  
"Sehun? You slept the whole night?"  
"I did!"  
Luhan looks at him, and realizes something too.  
He hasn't coughed all morning. His stomach doesn't hurt, and his rash he saw forming on his arm yesterday isn't there.  
He lifts up Minseok's shirt and sees his to be worse than ever, his stomach moving with his coughs.  
They're okay.  
But he isn't.  
"Minseok, we're both fine!"  
Minseok backs away, moving away from them both.  
"Minseok what are you do-"  
"I can't get you sick again!"  
Luhan's eyes widen.  
Minseok's eyes are large and crazed, his hands shaking, his pupils wavering.  
"Minseok, you won't. I think we're immun-"  
"I'm not taking that chance! I'm not going to get you sick again!"  
"Sehun, baby, go play."  
Sehun smiles.  
"Okay daddy!"  
And Sehun trots off, playing with his toys, oblivious.  
"Minseok, we—no, I, am fine! You can't get us sick. We didn't have contact with anything that could've saved us that you didn't. We're Immune!"  
"I won't let you get sick. I won't. I'll protect you, I promise!"  
"Minseok! We aren't sick!"  
They're screaming now, not caring about anyone or anything that isn't in this room with them.  
"I'm still sick! I'm still going to die, and it's, it's all you! It's your fault!"  
Luhan gapes.  
"You're a psychopath!"  
Minseok looks around.  
Sehun comes walking out slowly.  
"I heard scary noises downstairs!"  
"This isn't the time"  
"Daddy I swear there's people downstairs!"  
"Sehun! I'm not in the mood for your ga-"  
The door flies open, people in vests running in, guns poised in at them, yelling and demanding people get on the ground, there's only a few of them, but enough to scare Luhan and scare the living day lights out of Sehun.  
Minseok crouches in front of them.  
They're talking and it's all one big mush of words and punctuation and Luhan has no clue what's happening, but he hears the latter part of a sentence that sends him into a spiral.  
"-shoot infected on sight."  
He lunges at Minseok, pulling him behind him, trying to make sure his shirt stays down and hopes Sehun won't pull on the turtleneck he was given.  
"Luha-"  
"We've got a hysteric one, third floor,"  
Nothing else registers, nobody else matters but him and Sehun and Minseok.  
Once he gets Minseok behind him, he lunges at an officer in a pure haze of adrenaline and anger, and the officers get ready to shoot.  
"Daddy!"  
"Luhan!"  
Luhan barely hears them, but he does hear the shot of a gun, and a thud.  
His hands open to shield Minseok and Sehun, but he doesn't feel it impact him. They missed.  
But if they missed, it must've hit-  
He whips around so hard his neck hurts, but he disregards his pain.  
"S-Sehun! Minseok!"  
He turns, and is thankful when he sees Sehun, but Minseok isn't there.  
His hand is pressed against the floor, but is welcomed with a liquid. Who spilt something on his floo-  
He picks up his hand, and it's stained a dark red, and the stench of blood in the air is overpowering.  
"M-M-Minseok?"  
He looks forward, and sees Minseok had lifted his shirt.  
His hand is still on the shirt, but it's shaking, and so are his arms and legs.  
He falls backwards, and Luhan scrambles to catch him, and lays him on the ground, and wraps his hands on the injury, trying to hold the blood in.  
The tan of Minseok's face slowly depletes, along with his blood and his life.  
Minseok distracted them.  
He purposely pulled his shirt up so they would shoot him instead of Luhan.  
"I-I," Minseok's mouth moves slowly, words coming out sloppily and hoarse, "told you I'd protect you."  
He forgets Sehun is there.  
It's only him. Only him and Minseok.  
"M-Minseok,"  
Minseok hushes him.  
"Don't-Don't cry, I don't like it."  
His hand that was once pulling his shirt reaches up and paints a bloody handprint on Luhan's cheek, smiling.  
"Maybe, Maybe I am a psychopath."  
"N-No baby, it's m-"  
He's cut off by Minseok being shot again, blood splattering all over Luhan's front.  
"Minseok! Minseok's!"  
"You-you bastards!"  
He lunges again, but stops in his tracks when he hears them shout again.  
"Another infected!"  
And a shot goes off.  
He really expects it to be him this time.  
But it's not.  
He whips around and sees Sehun's head lowered, looking down at his stomach, maybe he was avoiding eye contact.  
But when red begins to stain his baby blue turtleneck, he knows Sehun wasn't avoiding eye contact.  
"Daddy?"  
He screams.  
It's deafening and sounds like an animal wailing in pain.  
"O-Owie."  
Luhan can't move.  
He wants to reach out to grasp onto Sehun, but can only watch as another bullet pierces his head, and his body shakes and falls backwards with the force.  
Hands grab him, but he doesn't feel anything.  
He's being pulled harshly down stairs, and the only way he can tell his by his vision leaping every once and a while.  
He's still screaming because he can feel his throat burn and go raw, but it's silent.  
His vision is so blurred he can't make out anything. His eyes burn and his entire body aches and his lungs scream and his vocal chords do too.  
"Sehun! Minseok! Se-"  
He's thrown to the ground, in the middle of a circle of military men, looking down on him as if he's a dog.  
He feels like one.  
He's trapped, and he wants to kill every single one of the, but he can't force his limbs to move.  
All he can do is sit there and stare off into space, the echo of Sehun's voice rig if out after the first shot deafening in his ears even though it happened a bit ago.  
Everything moves in slow motion, soldiers lips moving at him in cruel patterns like they didn't just slaughter his lover and son.  
"M-More people call me that t-than you think."  
He manages to hear these words come from his mouth, but he doesn't know what they mean.  
"Sehun, I-I-I don't have time for your games!"  
His mouth keeps moving, saying things he knows he's said before, but he can't remember where or when.  
Well, he can, but his brain won't move beyond anything but his son and boyfriend getting shot.  
"I think I'm going to t-t-take him home,"  
Soldiers look down on him, steel cold eyes wondering what they could do to fix him.  
Luhan hears what they're saying, wondering if putting him out of him misery would be best, and Luhan hopes they'll come to that conclusion.  
He feels a shot wrack his body and force him backwards, and the sweet sting of pain telling him he's going away now. He'll get to apologize to Minseok and Sehun.  
"to die there."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm....sorry....????


End file.
